Category: Retro Fashion

It’s been a while, I know. Its been all systems go go go here at Rockamilly. We only went and moved didn’t we?! After spending two and a half years in our Rochford home it was time to grow. We needed to really. Too many shoes you see?

We’d been looking at a little sports shop in Leigh on Sea for a while. There was none of that Umming and Ahhing that can come with finding a second shop. No the moment Kirsty stepped into 3 Broadway she knew she wanted it. Then I popped along and fell equally in love with it. ” Oh we could have (insert a million ideas for this shell of a sports shop)”

But how do you turn an old sports shop into a vintage fashion boutique. Rochford came with character. We’d have to craft it here. No one thought it’d be easy but we certainly weren’t prepared for just how testing this was going to be. Our date was steadily moving further away with every obstacle and hurdle that was dodged and jumped.

Eventually the fateful day came after at least 7 months of waiting! WE HAD THE KEYS! Get in and get this store looking ready for you lovely lot. Kirsty and Team Rockamilly (including her husband, father in law and family and friends) slogged hard to get the store up and running in time to open in August. What an opening that was!

Did you come alone and see us on opening day? IT WAS PACKED! Honestly its a good job we had moved because we would have been bursting at the seams. We have beautiful Pin Up model Scarlet La Rox join us for a little bit of live modelling in our windows, photographers, press, customers old and new and from far and wide. We were over whelmed at just how supportive everyone was. It’s nerve wracking moving the business to a brand new town. Will people find us? Will they like the new lay out? Will the come to see us still? I’m happy to say, yes.

Scarlet caused an absolute storm! ” OH SHE’S REAL!!!!” Yes, yes she is. In between modelling in the window she popped into the store and dished out some fashion advice. We love her. She’s such good fun.

She cut the bunting and Rockamilly Leigh on Sea was officially OPEN!!! It was a fantastic day. We have also expanded our team. Welcome to Zara and Emily. Team Rockamilly is a fun place to be.

And so although we say farewell to Rochford and thank her for all she gave us in the beginning, we say a huge hello and thank you to Leigh on Sea. For being so hospitable, warm and welcoming to a little business that started 2.5 years ago, with a handful of dresses and no shoes. Who can now brag that they have a Tardis of a shop and a following of amazing customers! Here’s to many many happy years at RockamilLeigh 😉

Share this:

Like this:

Sometimes, just sometimes, I get sad. A few things can make me sad. Romantic comedies with the wrong endings, shoes that aren’t in my size, being told no etc…although what really makes my heart hurt is when I hear ‘Id love to wear these things. I’m too old now though.’

Says who? Honestly ladies you are NEVER too old to feel fabulous. I promise you I’ve never ever looked at a customer and thought they look too old. I always think ‘Gosh. She’s beautiful.’

Older ladies, your generation GAVE us this. You showed us how waspies cinched our waists. How seamed stockings elongated our legs. We have an entire movement in fashion because of you. How dare anyone make you feel you can’t reclaim it once again for yourselves. Women come and tell me of their petticoats soaked in sugar water to make them stiff and stick out. They are amazed when I show them how soft our petticoats are now. How they no longer scratch your legs and that you can sit down and not expose yourself. I promise if you felt on top of the world then, you’ll feel on top of the world now. New prints…new materials. Braver and bolder than anything you found then.

Put that dress on. Remember how you felt at your first dance? How you and your girlfriends danced together? Perhaps you met your husband that night? Perhaps you were celebrating the end of the war? You have every right to wear those dresses again and feel the freedom and elation you felt then.

Please. Never feel that you’re ever too old. If you’re still walking past these windows and saying ‘I love that dress/those shoes/that bag’ then you are far from too old.

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

As some of you might be aware, a week ago we had a rather large shoe launch.

For those not in the know, Irregular Choice (makers of fabulous shoes and bringers of joy and hope) like to collaborate with others and bring you the ultimate in shoes. Previous collections have included Star Wars, Alice in Wonderland and Cinderella. When IC give wind that there’s a new collection on the way, speculation is high and all sorts of theories are put out there. Honestly sometimes I think collectors of IC should work for CSI.

So last Friday we had the largest collection to date. Mickey and Friends. Follow that link to see our in store collection.

Look how utterly fabulous they are?! Unboxing and discovering whats lurking underneath that tissue paper is one of my many favourite parts. Its like Christmas all over again. Especially when you have customers in store who come to see their unveiling. They are the children and we are Father Christmas. Their faces glow and with eyes wide all we can hear for the next few hours is ‘Oh gosh! Oh WOW! Just look at that heel detail! Ooo they are so sparkly!’. Then comes the bit they’ve been waiting for. Trying on!!! Squeaking and hopping about in delight because they fit and they are ‘the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever worn’.

In typical Rockamilly fashion, and because no one needs to ask me twice, Kirsty and I tried our very best to bring a little Disney magic to the launch. How? I hear you ask.

We used the amazing stock that we already have to piece together some Mickey and Minnie outfits. We look good don’t you think? Yes those are socks over my shoes. We brought smiles to our customers, to the villagers going past and hearing children shouting ‘Mummy, IT’S MICKEY MOUSE!’ makes wearing socks over your shoes totally worth it.

We always launch in store and then go online a little bit later. Its fair that way. We have customers who come from quite a way away just to be at our launches. Cake, drinks and beautiful shoes. I mean what more could a shoe lover want?

And so once the in store hype has finished and everyone has made their purchases and left with the biggest smiles, we settle down to online orders. OH BOY! Check, print, wrap, re-wrap, bag, stick, send. I love to read where our shoes are going. Where will they be oo-ed and ahh-ed over. Who’s day is going to be made when that box is handed over? Who’s being surprised for their birthday, anniversary etc? Are they their absolute dream shoe? We posted to Texas this time. TEXAS! I know what you’re thinking. It wasn’t the cowboy boots.

So after we wrapped a mountain of shoes, we sat back and had a little think. About the day. About the people we’d met. How I’d made a noise i’d never heard before when I saw the GOSH hi-tops light up. How Kirsty had decided which pair she wanted and then how her little heart broke when I wrapped them up and sent them away. About how fortunate we are to be a part of the Irregular Choice family. A group of beautiful, eccentric, barmy men and women who, like us, LOVE shoes and LOVE launch days.

I wouldn’t change them for the world. We were exhausted by closing time, no doubt about it. Mickey had come to our corner of Essex and Hot Diggety Dog he’d made an impression. He still is. In our window display, along with Minnie, Donald and Daisy. I can hear a lady outside admiring them as I type. She’s quite possibly someones Grandma and in all honesty she’d look fabulous in those Glitzy Mickeys that she’s lusting over. They appeal to all age groups.

After all. It was Mickey that kick started everything we know and love about Disney. It’s about time he was immortalised like this.

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

I apologise for the delay in getting this out to you lovely readers this week, things have been busy here! However, I hope you will join us today where I’ll be taking you to 1948, following on from last weeks blog, which you can read here!

1948 was the year where clothes shrunk and got tighter. And if they didn’t have the money for a whole new wardrobe, you’d wear a belt or alter your clothes! When you think of 1948, most people will connect it with the Olympics. It was the 2nd time the UK hosted the Olympics, the 1st being 1908. It also bought us the silver screen starlets such as Elizabeth Taylor, Ava Gardner & Marilyn Monroe.

From 1947 and Diors ‘New Look’ collection, 1948 saw his collection adapt to everyday, wearable yet beautiful garments, for example the full, dramatic skirt turned into a simple, modified flare skirt. Fabrics were revolutionised and changed, and soft fabrics were replaced with stiff and crisp fabrics, such as jacquard & moire (fabric made from silk, cottons or wool). For winter, stiff velvet, brocades and broadcloth were used. But we can’t forget the famous tweed! Tweed loved 1948. Tweed was used for coats, skirts, dresses and popular for waistcoats.

Navy was the fashion colour of 1948, all the way through the seasons, it played a huge part in fashion. You would find that dark, rich colours were a big part of a ladies wardrobe! Grays, blacks and browns dominated clothing. Unlike nowadays, where a lot of reproduction dresses are a multitude of colours!

Accessories always make an outfit when it comes to vintage styling, as we all know, and quite a few were staple items when it came to completing an outfit! Shoes and gloves were just a few. Shoes in 1948, may surprise you. Pumps were much more popular upon the shoe rack, however, they would of course have to match your outfit! For after tea or evening, they’d prefer to wear ankle strap shoe (as shown above) for that extra bit of class or glam! Shoe fabrics ranged from suede to velvets and satins – mainly all depending on the time of day! Which I guess isn’t hugely different from today. Fur, thin belts (also known as dog leash belt) and hats were also super popular! Everything would of ranged from glamorous to more casual. A glove could be straight, silky and smooth or ruffled, curved and flared!
An everyday, casual outfit for 1948, would be a lovely, softly tailored suit or box jacket suit, knitwear or a casual dress (preferably with a matching jacket!) and a stole. For Spring, you’d be wanting to wear a petticoat for fullness but these weren’t hugely popular in the colder months. Unlike today, where petticoats are made of mixed materials, back then they would of been made according to the seasons! They were mostly made of taffeta or for the spring, summer months a crisp cotton!

Fashion inspiration was very much taken from the Victorian age – which you can tell by the silhouette and styling of clothes. Clothes were often finished with a trimming, such as beading, braids or fringe. Evening fashion in 1948 was hugely made up of low, strapless dresses, boned and snug, and floor length. The gorgeous princess ball gown was inspired by ‘Gone With the Wind’ and a lot of evening dresses came from this.
1948 was another exciting year for women, fashion & iconic figures. Fashion for women was continuously growing and with icons gracing the screens, who wouldn’t be inspired or rushing to wear the latest trends (just like we are today!) Its short and sweet this week but, who continues to inspire you? Do you have a favourite forties icon? Share with us!

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Over here at Rockamilly, we bring to you our new blog series ‘Lets Talk Fashion!’. Every week, we shall bring you a new year & new clothing item throughout the late forties to the swinging sixties & bring you all its cherished history to whom designed it, how it came about and how we wear it today! I hope you will join us throughout this series and learn a whole lot more about those gorgeous items sitting in your wardrobe! We begin with the ‘Circle Skirt’ – a staple item to release your inner silver starlet!

The iconic circle skirt. The shape and high waist is what you think of when it comes to the 1950’s. Its a ‘classic’ for any vintage loving girl & became famous, all thank to Christian Dior in 1947 with his ‘New Look‘.

During WW2, fabric & fashion was very much stretched, bringing about ‘Make Do & Mend’. By 1947, Paris had re-gained its fashion houses and grew back its reputation of couture fashion, primarily from Diors ‘New Look’. It brought back femininity & glamour. From what was known during & even before the war, fashion consisted of structure, box shoulders and straight shapes. A whole new era began with this new silhouette – showing off the woman figure, emphasising the waist & bust, with longer skirts and a wider hem. At first, it didn’t take off outside of Paris, America the first to resist the new founded silhoutte.

Christian Diors ‘New Look’ collection was his first for S/S47. This collection went down in fashion history with Harper Bazaar saying “It’s such a New Look!”. It revived the fashion of Paris! Dior is said to of used up to 20 yards of gorgeous fabric for one skirt, which in those times, wasn’t heard of due to the rationing of fabric. This brought about its own tribulations as people were unhappy with the amount of fabric he was using due to the fabric shortage and woman didn’t like that there legs were now covered up, which was unpopular for then. However, Dior wasn’t phased & he styled his look with petticoats, hip padding, corsets and boned bodices, which all helped to achieve the ‘flare’. He is known to of said, about his collection, “I have designed flower women.”

The ‘New Look’ continued to grow in popularity and brought about new beginnings, not only in fabric usage or a ladys outer wardrobe, but with intimate garments. To achieve such a nipped in, yet curvy silhoutte, waspies, girdles and horsehair padding became essentials for a full skirt! Diors new collection introduced a whole new Nylon, doubled the sales of corsets & a new bra revolution which we now call the ‘bullet’ bra.

In America, they had the ‘poodle skirt’ & even though it looks uncanny to Diors full circle skirt, they are different. The Poodle Skirt was designed by Juli Lynne Charlot in the 50’s and soon became a classic for teenage girls to wear with a pair of white socks & a good pair of brogues! Unlike Diors circle skirt, the poodle was super easy to make at home due to not needing a huge amount of fabric or equipment! It was also made from felt with a applique rather than Diors extravagant fabrics.
The poodle skirt is a memorable symbol for America and is still popularly worn today or used in films for costume.

Here at Rockamilly, we sell a selection of circle skirts. The circle skirt is something you can wear up or down, depending on the print and fabric of the skirt. It such a versatile piece and why its still so hugely popular. Not only does it have versatility, it gives you a fabulous shape with or without a petticoat. Its perfect for an effortlessly stylish outfit. So, why don’t you show us your circle skirts! Its a piece made to be shown off…

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Its probably a cliche to say that we genuinely love our customers but its true.

Its not just about watching you swirl and twirl or strut around in front of the mirror. Today for instance, I’ve helped a woman decide exactly what dress she wanted for her sons wedding. She wanted something different, a step away from her day to day obvious choices and as she stood in front of the mirror, lightly stroking what would become her dress, her shoulders relaxed and she smiled. A smile I’d not seen when she tried on the previous dresses.

I adore that moment. When you can see in your customers face that they are happy, content and satisfied with their purchase. That those panels of fabric have transformed them for a moment and they know they look truly show stopping.

In fact today has been full of those moments which is what inspired me to tippy tap this. We’ve had a lady in her 70’s walk away with the most beautiful Mermaid Skirt, whilst retelling me stories of the 60’s and how she loved to wear skirts then. A young girl came in with her Mum and Grandma and put the finishing touches on her prom dress. She looked so beautiful and I couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride that this little shop in this tiny town was helping her expand her confidence and experiment with how she wanted to look. to push boundaries and try new things. In fact her Mum and Grandma had stories aplenty to share with me whilst she gazed at herself. A regular came to see us too. Honestly in all my time here I’ve never known a woman so glamorous. She’d put Marilyn herself to shame. She loves bright and bold, so thankfully our new stock satisfied her tastes. Of she strolled with her new boloro and dress, honestly you’d think a 50’s Hollywood superstar were leaving.

It’s an important part of our job here. Ultimately you beauties are our walking talking adverts. Knowing just how happy you are strikes real pleasure into our hearts. We feel like we know you, some of you have even become friends of ours and now we really do know you. I can speak for all of us when I say, without all of your wonderful characters and personalities, Rockamilly wouldn’t be as fun.

All in all its been a good day here…We hope you have a truly fantastic bank holiday weekend.

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Hello guys and dolls, welcome to the first blog entry from us here at Rockamilly Boutique. Firstly a little about us.

We started out in May 2015, when our faithful leader and boss lady Kirsty, opened in Rochford Essex. The first of its kind in a small market town, Rockamilly took no time at all to make a name for itself. With customers coming from far and wide to visit this little bit of retro sunshine we were soon joined by Stacie and then Alice with the hope of expanding the team.

In the last 18 months Kirsty has built a fantastic brand, reputation and work force. Not only are we an official stockist for Irregular Choice (those in the know will be more than familiar with the cult following, neigh, religious movement that is IC. We didn’t know just what we were diving into when someone suggested we start stocking Irregular Choice but needless to say we haven’t looked back and can proudly boast that currently we stock 63 different styles of IC shoes, along with their sister brand Poetic License.

However, shoes isn’t all we do. You know when sometimes you think “I just want someone to look at me and say, try wearing this, this way and team with with this colour” and then you look utterly fabulous.

We can do that.

Our Stacie has an eye for body shapes, comfort zones (mainly pushing you out of them) and colour schemes. If you’ve ever visited our store you may have heard “I’ll pass you over to Stacie. She’s really good at this”. We offer a personal shopping experience and you can find out more about this by contacting us at www.rockamilly.com or messaging our facebook page on www.facebook.com/rockamillyboutique/

We have an extensive range of dresses, trousers, skirts, tops etc…its very unlikely you wont find something you absolutely LOVE!! We stock sizes 8-22 in most designs. Sometimes we hear our customers say “Oh i’ll never fit into any of these lovely dresses” There really is nothing like seeing a customer happy because they’ve found something that brings out their inner goddess. Especially when they didn’t think they’d find it.

Its coming up to two years since Rockamilly opened her doors to the public and we’re all very excited at the prospect of a happy and prosperous future.